List of TV Guide covers (1950s)

This is a list of issue covers of TV Guide magazine for the decade of the 1950s, from its national launch in April 1953 through December 1959. The entries on this table include each cover's subjects and their artists (photographer or illustrator). This list is for the regular weekly issues of TV Guide; any one-time-only special issues are not included. From April 3, 1953 to July 9, 1954, the magazine organized their TV listings from Friday to Thursday. Starting July 17, 1954, the pattern was reorganized in order from Saturday to Friday and would be done in this manner until April 3, 2004.

1953

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
4/3/1953 Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (using Desi Arnaz Jr.'s legal name) & uncaptioned inset photo of Lucille Ball Photo montage Unknown
4/10/1953 Dragnet's Jack Webb
4/17/1953 Uncaptioned Lucille Ball, Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle, Imogene Coca & Sid Caesar Illustration Jack Weaver
4/24/1953 Ralph Edwards
5/1/1953 Eve Arden
5/8/1953 Arthur Godfrey Photograph
5/15/1953 David & Ricky Nelson
5/22/1953 Uncaptioned Red Buttons
5/29/1953 Uncaptioned Queen Elizabeth II
6/5/1953 Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin
6/12/1953 Eddie Fisher
6/19/1953 Ed Sullivan
6/26/1953 Dinah Shore
7/3/1953 Uncaptioned Perry Como
7/10/1953 Dave Garroway & Mr. Muggs
7/17/1953 Uncaptioned Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz
7/24/1953 Uncaptioned Groucho Marx Illustration Bob Taylor
7/31/1953 Max Liebman, Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca
8/7/1953 Ray Milland: Moves to TV
8/14/1953 Patti Page
8/21/1953 Super Circus Mary Hartline & Claude Kirchner Photo illustration
8/28/1953 Uncaptioned Jayne Meadows & Audrey Meadows
9/4/1953 Back to School With Mr. Peepers/Uncaptioned Marion Lorne & Wally Cox Illustration
9/11/1953 Joan Caulfield & Ralph Edwards This Is Your Life Photograph
9/18/1953 Fall Preview 1953-1954 Shows
9/25/1953 George Reeves — — Man and Superman Photo montage
10/2/1953 Red Skelton: A Career at Stake
10/9/1953 Preview: Bishop Sheen's New Book
10/16/1953 Picture Story — 1953 T-Venus Winners (Three uncaptioned actresses, one of whom is Angie Dickinson) Photograph
10/23/1953 Arthur Godfrey Photo montage
10/30/1953 Buelah Witch & Friends Illustration
11/6/1953 Warren Hull
11/13/1953 Jimmy Durante
11/20/1953 Dorothy McGuire & Julius La Rosa
11/27/1953 Lugene Sanders — 'Babs Riley'
12/4/1953 Loretta Young
12/11/1953 Jack Webb: Quitting Dragnet
12/18/1953 Bob Hope: On The Run Photo illustration
12/25/1953 Merry Christmas with uncaptioned Perry Como, Patti Page & Eddie Fisher

1954

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/1/1954 Bing Crosby Photograph
1/8/1954 Joan Caulfield
1/15/1954 Martha Raye
1/22/1954 I've Got a Secret
1/29/1954 Robert Montgomery
2/5/1954 Jack Benny Photograph
2/12/1954 Red Buttons
2/19/1954 Ann Sothern
2/26/1954 Liberace Photograph
3/5/1954 Marion Marlowe & Frank Parker
3/12/1954 Maria Riva
3/19/1954 Groucho Marx
3/26/1954 Jackie Gleason Photograph William Kahn
4/2/1954 Eve Arden
4/9/1954 Charlie Applewhite & Milton Berle
4/16/1954 TV Guide Awards
4/23/1954 Lucille Ball Photograph
4/30/1954 Ben Alexander & Jack Webb
5/7/1954 Nelsons — Mother (Harriet Nelson) & Sons (Ricky Nelson & David Nelson)
5/14/1954 Frank Sinatra Photograph
5/21/1954 Patricia Benoit & Wally Cox
5/28/1954 Gale Storm
6/4/1954 Arthur Godfrey
6/11/1954 Ben Blue & Alan Young
6/18/1954 Rise Stevens & Ed Sullivan
6/25/1954 Howdy Doody & Bob Smith Photograph
7/2/1954 Joan Davis & Jim Backus
7/9/1954 Arlene Francis
7/17/1954 Roy Rogers
7/24/1954 Jack Webb & Ann Robinson
7/31/1954 William Bendix
8/7/1954 Perry Como & Friends
8/14/1954 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Photograph
8/21/1954 Jayne Meadows & Steve Allen
8/28/1954 Roxanne
9/4/1954 Eddie Fisher
9/11/1954 Betty Hutton
9/18/1954 Liberace
9/25/1954 Fall Preview 1954-1955 Shows Text graphic
10/2/1954 Teresa Wright & Dick Powell in The Long Goodbye
10/9/1954 Lucille Ball
10/16/1954 Red Buttons Photograph
10/23/1954 Walt Disney with his studio's cartoon characters Photo illustration Walt Disney Productions
10/30/1954 Joan Caulfield & Barry Nelson
11/6/1954 Gracie Allen & George Burns
11/13/1954 Joanne Rio & Liberace
11/20/1954 Bebe Daniels & Ralph Edwards
11/27/1954 Peter Lawford & Marcia Henderson
12/4/1954 George Gobel
12/11/1954 Marion Marlowe
12/18/1954 Imogene Coca
12/25/1954 Ozzie Nelson & Family

1955

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/1/1955 Loretta Young of The Loretta Young Show Photograph Elmer Holloway
1/8/1955 Arthur Godfrey
1/15/1955 I've Got a Secret
1/22/1955 Ed Sullivan
1/29/1955 Martha Raye
2/5/1955 Edward R. Murrow
2/12/1955 Your Hit Parade
2/19/1955 Sid Caesar Photograph Philippe Halsman
2/26/1955 Steve Allen & Judy Holliday
3/5/1955 Liberace
3/12/1955 Dinah Shore
3/19/1955 Art Carney
3/26/1955 Gale Gordon & Eve Arden
4/2/1955 Tony Martin
4/9/1955 Gloria Marshall & Bob Cummings
4/16/1955 Garry Moore
4/23/1955 Gale Storm
4/30/1955 Buddy Ebsen & Fess Parker
5/7/1955 Robin Morgan & Peggy Wood
5/14/1955 Perry Como
5/21/1955 Audrey Meadows & Jackie Gleason
5/28/1955 Ralph Edwards
6/4/1955 Eddie Fisher
6/11/1955 Gail Davis
6/18/1955 Danny Thomas
6/25/1955 Sid Caesar, Barbara Nichols & Cliff Norton
7/2/1955 Tommy Rettig with Lassie & Lee Aaker with Rin Tin Tin Photograph Graphic House
7/9/1955 Patti Page
7/16/1955 Julius La Rosa
7/23/1955 Janet Leigh & Jack Webb
7/30/1955 Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Margaret Whiting & Barbara Whiting
8/6/1955 Art Linkletter
8/13/1955 Roxanne & Bud Collyer
8/20/1955 Hal March
8/27/1955 Groucho Marx
9/3/1955 Jody Carson & Johnny Carson of The Johnny Carson Show Photograph Gaby Rona
9/10/1955 Arthur Godfrey
9/17/1955 Milton Berle & Esther Williams
9/24/1955 Fall preview 1955-1956 Shows Illustration
10/1/1955 Mickey Mouse
10/8/1955 George Burns & Gracie Allen
10/15/1955 Richard Boone
10/22/1955 Peggy King & George Gobel
10/29/1955 Phil Silvers Photograph Philippe Halsman
11/5/1955 Nanette Fabray
11/12/1955 Liberace
11/19/1955 Jack Benny
11/26/1955 Martha Raye of The Martha Raye Show with her head leaning out of a picture frame Photograph Philippe Halsman
12/3/1955 Mary Healy & Peter Lind Hayes
12/10/1955 Lucille Ball
12/17/1955 Robert Montgomery
12/24/1955 A Christmas image of a TV antenna decorated with ornaments and beads Photograph Larry Fritz
12/31/1955 Cleo (dog) of The People's Choice

1956

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/7/1956 Arthur Godfrey
1/14/1956 Loretta Young
1/21/1956 Lawrence Welk
1/28/1956 Janis Paige
2/4/1956 Judy Tyler
2/11/1956 Perry Como
2/18/1956 Jimmy Durante
2/25/1956 Gisele MacKenzie
3/3/1956 Lynn Dollar & Hal March
3/10/1956 Frances Rafferty & Spring Byington
3/17/1956 Maurice Evans & Lilli Palmer
3/24/1956 Dave Garroway
3/31/1956 Arlene Francis & John Daly
4/7/1956 Jayne Meadows, Garry Moore & Faye Emerson
4/14/1956 Grace Kelly
4/21/1956 Nanette Fabray
4/28/1956 Red Skelton
5/5/1956 George Gobel & Mitzi Gaynor
5/12/1956 Bernadette O'Farrell & Richard Greene
5/19/1956 Phil Silvers & Elisabeth Fraser
5/26/1956 Alice Lon & Lawrence Welk
6/2/1956 Sid Caesar & Janet Blair
6/9/1956 Patti Page
6/16/1956 Elinor Donahue, Robert Young, Lauren Chapin & Billy Gray
6/23/1956 Steve Allen
6/30/1956 Bob Cummings
7/7/1956 Lassie Photograph Garrett-Howard
7/14/1956 Gordon MacRae & Sheila MacRae
7/21/1956 Bill Lundigan & Mary Costa
7/28/1956 Gail Davis of Annie Oakley Photograph Garrett-Howard
8/4/1956 Jackie Cooper & Cleo (dog)
8/11/1956 Democratic Convention Illustration KMLG-Barron
8/18/1956 GOP Convention Illustration Kramer, Miller, Lomden, Glassman
8/25/1956 Esther Williams
9/1/1956 Alice Lon
9/8/1956 Elvis Presley
9/15/1956 Fall Preview 1956-1957 Shows
9/22/1956 Hal March Illustration Al Hirschfeld
9/29/1956 Jackie Gleason
10/6/1956 Gale Storm
10/13/1956 The Nelson Family
10/20/1956 Phyllis Goodkind & Perry Como
10/27/1956 Alfred Hitchcock
11/3/1956 Edward R. Murrow Illustration Al Hirschfeld
11/10/1956 Loretta Young Photograph Elmer Holloway
11/17/1956 Buddy Hackett
11/24/1956 Nanette Fabray
12/1/1956 Gracie Allen & George Burns Illustration Al Hirschfeld
12/8/1956 Victor Borge
12/15/1956 Dinah Shore
12/22/1956 Merry Christmas
12/29/1956 Jeannie Carson

1957

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/5/1957 Arthur Godfrey Illustration Al Hirschfeld
1/12/1957 Lucille Ball
1/19/1957 Jerry Lewis
1/26/1957 Bob Hope Illustration Al Hirschfeld
2/2/1957 Jane Wyman
2/9/1957 Hugh O'Brian
2/16/1957 Jane Wyatt & Robert Young
2/23/1957 Charles Van Doren
3/2/1957 Dorothy Collins & Gisele MacKenzie
3/9/1957 Arthur Godfrey & Pat Boone
3/16/1957 The Emmy Awards
3/23/1957 Tennessee Ernie Ford Illustration Ernest Chiriaka
3/30/1957 Julie Andrews
4/6/1957 Lawrence Welk Illustration Al Hirschfeld
4/13/1957 Nanette Fabray of The Kaiser Aluminum Hour in a baseball uniform (a baseball preview feature was included in this issue) Photograph Herb Ball
4/20/1957 Loretta Young
4/27/1957 Groucho Marx Illustration Al Parker
5/4/1957 Hal March & Robert Strom
5/11/1957 James Arness of Gunsmoke Photograph Garrett-Howard
5/18/1957 Esther Williams
5/25/1957 Sid Caesar Illustration Al Hirschfeld
6/1/1957 Ida Lupino & Howard Duff
6/8/1957 Lassie
6/15/1957 Red Skelton
6/22/1957 Jack Bailey
6/29/1957 Gale Storm
7/6/1957 What's My Line? Illustration Al Hirschfeld
7/13/1957 Gail Davis
7/20/1957 Julius La Rosa
7/27/1957 Garry Moore
8/3/1957 Cleo (dog)
8/10/1957 Ann B. Davis & Bob Cummings
8/17/1957 Phil Silvers Illustration Al Hirschfeld
8/24/1957 Marjorie Lord & Danny Thomas
8/31/1957 Clint Walker of Cheyenne Photograph Warner Bros.
9/7/1957 Janette Davis & Arthur Godfrey
9/14/1957 Fall Preview 1957-1958 Shows featuring a close-up of the eye of Polly Bergen Photograph Arthur Williams
9/21/1957 Pat Boone
9/28/1957 Gracie Allen & George Burns
10/5/1957 Joan Caulfield
10/12/1957 This Is The Week To Watch Photo montage
10/19/1957 Loretta Young
10/26/1957 Peter Lawford & Phyllis Kirk
11/2/1957 Lucille Ball Illustration Al Hirschfeld
11/9/1957 James Garner
11/16/1957 Patti Page
11/23/1957 Mary Martin
11/30/1957 Alfred Hitchcock Illustration Al Hirschfeld
12/7/1957 Dinah Shore Illustration Al Parker
12/14/1957 Walt Disney
12/21/1957 Season's Greetings
12/28/1957 Ricky Nelson of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet Photograph John Engstead

1958

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/4/1958 Lawrence Welk
1/11/1958 Gisele MacKenzie
1/18/1958 John Payne
1/25/1958 Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca Photograph Philippe Halsman
2/1/1958 Walter Winchell
2/8/1958 Peggy King & Tab Hunter
2/15/1958 A Great Week
2/22/1958 Rosemary Clooney
3/1/1958 Lassie Illustration Al Hirschfeld
3/8/1958 Arthur Godfrey
3/15/1958 Amanda Blake & James Arness
3/22/1958 Perry Como Illustration Al Hirschfeld
3/29/1958 Tennessee Ernie Ford Photograph Paul W. Bailey
4/5/1958 Gale Storm
4/12/1958 Hugh O'Brian Illustration Al Hirschfeld
4/19/1958 Polly Bergen
4/26/1958 Guy Williams of Zorro Photograph Dave Preston
5/3/1958 Shirley Temple
5/10/1958 Richard Boone of Have Gun Will Travel Photograph Philippe Halsman
5/17/1958 Danny Thomas
5/24/1958 Dick Clark
5/31/1958 Phyllis Kirk
6/7/1958 Pat Boone
6/14/1958 Jane Wyatt & Robert Young
6/21/1958 Ed Sullivan
6/28/1958 Jerry Mathers
7/5/1958 Bill Cullen of The Price Is Right
7/12/1958 Lucille Ball
7/19/1958 Dale Robertson
7/26/1958 Paula Raymond & Marvin Miller
8/2/1958 Walter Brennan
8/9/1958 Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme
8/16/1958 Robert Horton & Ward Bond
8/23/1958 Edie Adams & Janet Blair
8/30/1958 Bud Collyer, Polly Bergen & Kitty Carlisle
9/6/1958 Arthur Godfrey
9/13/1958 Lennon Sisters & Lawrence Welk
9/20/1958 Fall Preview 1958-1959 Shows
9/27/1958 Garry Moore
10/4/1958 Dick Clark
10/11/1958 Barrie Chase & Fred Astaire
10/18/1958 Perry Como
10/25/1958 George Burns
11/1/1958 Jack Paar
11/8/1958 Loretta Young
11/15/1958 Warner Anderson & Tom Tully
11/22/1958 Ronald Reagan & Nancy Reagan Photograph Garrett-Howard
11/29/1958 Victor Borge
12/6/1958 James Arness
12/13/1958 Danny Thomas
12/20/1958 Special Holiday Issue
12/27/1958 David Nelson & Ricky Nelson

1959

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Issue date Cover subject Cover type Artist
1/3/1959 Lola Albright & Craig Stevens of Peter Gunn Photograph
1/10/1959 Milton Berle Illustration Al Hirschfeld
1/17/1959 James Garner & Jack Kelly of Maverick Photograph Gene Trindl
1/24/1959 Red Skelton of The Red Skelton Show
1/31/1959 George Gobel of The George Gobel Show
2/7/1959 Johnny Crawford & Chuck Connors of The Rifleman
2/14/1959 Alfred Hitchcock of Alfred Hitchcock Presents Photograph Max Yavno
2/21/1959 Barbara Hale & Raymond Burr of Perry Mason Photograph
2/28/1959 Richard Boone
3/7/1959 Walter Brennan
3/14/1959 Arthur Godfrey
3/21/1959 Ann Sothern
3/28/1959 Tennessee Ernie Ford of The Ford Show
4/4/1959 Efrem Zimbalist Jr. & Roger Smith of 77 Sunset Strip
4/11/1959 Ward Bond
4/18/1959 Dinah Shore
4/25/1959 Dick Powell
5/2/1959 Hugh O'Brian
5/9/1959 Edward Byrnes
5/16/1959 Loretta Young
5/23/1959 Bob Hope
5/30/1959 Steve McQueen of Wanted: Dead or Alive Photograph Gene Trindl
6/6/1959 Gale Storm
6/13/1959 Pat Boone
6/20/1959 Robert Young & Lauren Chapin
6/27/1959 Lloyd Bridges of Sea Hunt Photograph Russ Halford
7/4/1959 Jon Provost & Lassie
7/11/1959 Lola Albright & Craig Stevens
7/18/1959 Janet Blair
7/25/1959 John Russell
8/1/1959 Dave Garroway
8/8/1959 Donna Reed
8/15/1959 Lawrence Welk
8/22/1959 Bess Myerson, Henry Morgan, Betsy Palmer & Bill Cullen of I've Got a Secret
8/29/1959 Dick Clark of American Bandstand
9/5/1959 James Garner & Jack Kelly
9/12/1959 Arthur Godfrey
9/19/1959 Fall Preview: 1959-1960 Shows
9/26/1959 Jackie Cooper & Abby Dalton
10/3/1959 June Allyson
10/10/1959 Robert Taylor
10/17/1959 Ingrid Bergman
10/24/1959 Jay North alongside the animated Dennis the Menace Photo Illustration North: Richard R. Hewett

Dennis: Hank Ketcham

10/31/1959 Fred Astaire & Barrie Chase of Another Evening With Fred Astaire Photograph Elmer Holloway
11/7/1959 Jack Benny
11/14/1959 Perry Como
11/21/1959 Clint Walker of Cheyenne
11/28/1959 Art Carney
12/5/1959 Gayle Polayes, Joan Chandler & Dwayne Hickman of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Photograph Peter Samerjan
12/12/1959 Danny Thomas
12/19/1959 Merry Christmas
12/26/1959 Loretta Young

Sources

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  • Covers and table of contents page descriptions for the various issues.
  • TV Guide cover archive website: 1950s
  • TV Guide: Fifty Years of Television, New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 2002. ISBN 1-4000-4685-8
  • Stephen Hofer, ed., TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide, Braintree, Mass.: BangZoom Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0-9772927-1-1.
  • "50 Greatest TV Guide Covers," article from the June 15, 2002 edition of TV Guide
  • Information from ellwanger.tv's TV Guide collection section